Honeywell LYRIC Thermostat – Review, Comparison and Buying Guide

When it comes to the world of smart thermostats, ​Honeywell LYRIC Thermostat Series is probably the ​well-known name, which is understandable given that they pioneered and defined the standard for how a smart thermostat is supposed to look like.

However, over the years, other brands have emerged, and it seems Nest/ecobee is no longer to enjoy any monopoly. The Honeywell is a strong rival of Nest that has been in the market for a while and obviously comes in the front-line with a vast line of Wi-Fi thermostats.

Despite their massive line of connected thermostats, Honeywell is best known for their Lyric offerings. And when likened to the Nest, performance is usually what puts them in the same circle.

Featuring an advanced technology that studies your habits to work out a proper response, the Lyric family will ensure you always return to a comfortable home regardless of what the condition of the weather outside. And with an app for your mobile device, you will always be in a position to decide the climate of your home no matter where you are.

Our Honeywell Lyric thermostat review explores the details of the most popular models with the comparison of Honeywell Lyric 5​ vs Honeywell Lyric 6 Pro ​vs the Honeywell Lyric Round. Well, by the end of this review of Honeywell Lyric Series you should be able to decide which model will offer the best control for your heating and cooling system.

​Review: The Honeywell Lyric T5 (Plus)

The idea of spending over ​Two Hundred bucks on a thermostat doesn’t sound cool to everyone even if the thermostat allows them to be able to remotely monitor and control their HVAC system from their mobile device. If you want a smart model that can offer you all the connectivity you need without being overly expensive, the Honeywell Lyric T5 will make an ideal choice.

​The Lyric T5 is definitely a more budget-friendly option to Honeywell's flagship Lyric Round which is a bit more costly. It is primarily a strong version of the later with fewer features and functions. However, when compared with Honeywell’s budget Wi-Fi thermostat in terms of design and app, the Lyric T5 is a more sensible option.

Pros:

Reliable geofencing feature.

​Great value.

​Works with Apple HomeKit and Alexa.

​Flexible scheduling.

​Has multi-user mode

​App support.

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​Easy, and fast to install.

Cons:

​Dull display.

​Lacks of motion sensor.

​Cheap plastics.

Functionality

The Lyric T5 is a Wi-Fi thermostat that allows you to remotely control your HVAC system through an app regardless of your location. The app is fundamentally the same as the one that is featured in the Lyric Round.

However, unlike the Lyric Round, this unit is not equipped with occupancy sensors, and neither cannot automatically adjust the climate of your home when someone comes in nor goes out. Though it doesn’t offer the best comfort given, it allows you to adjust settings and set target temperatures even while you are away. You can also configure it to automatically decide for your HVAC system, whether it should be in cooling or heating mode.

Compatibility

Unlike the Lyric Round and Lyric 6 Pro, the Honeywell Lyric 5 doesn't support so many smart devices. However, the basic ones like Amazon Echo and Apple HomeKit ecosystem are covered which is enough encouragement to go for it considering its price.

The Lyric T5 also works with smart-home devices like the IFTTT, Google Home, and Stringify. However, it is not compatible with Samsung SmartThings or the Wink.

Review: Honeywell Lyric Round

Four years ago, Honeywell made their intention clear when they introduced the first model in the smart generational series. However, the old guard seemed to have so many issues which didn't impress many users. As a result, Honeywell had to go back to the drawing board and come up with something better.

The Honeywell Lyric Round features much of the corrections to the mistakes made in the old guard with greater performance and utility.

Pros:

Easy scheduling.

Great user interface.

Quickly learns your preferences.

​Comes with geofencing.

Cheaper than its counterparts.

​Allows multiple units to be controlled by a single account.

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​Elegant design & Simple smartphone control.

Cons:

​May present some networking issues.

​No detailed energy report.

​Fewer features than others.

​Fragile plastic construction.

​Requires a smartphone for full set-up and operation.

Functionality

More significant than the Nest with a glass interface surrounded by buttons, the stylish round gadget works with a considerable array of HVAC systems and auxiliaries including heat pumps, ventilators, fireplaces, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.

And unlike many smart models, it doesn't really need a C-wire for power, but we advise you to use one.

When it comes to optimization, the Lyric Round doesn't disappoint. By analyzing the past performance of your HVAC system and the existing weather data, it will work out the time required to cool or heat your space.

The unit is also smart enough to know when exactly to power on the heating and cooling system so that your selected temperature will be reached at the right time. This way, the Lyric Round is able to prevent energy wastes and cut down your bills.

Geofencing is one of the major selling points of the Lyric Round. Here, the unit uses the location of your smartphone to decide what action to take.

A virtual fence is created which surrounds a certain distance threshold within a specific geographical area. Once your phone crosses the fence, the system reacts according to the per-determined settings.

The device heavily relies on its inbuilt sensor to accomplish this.

Usually, the thermostat will switch to "Away" once you cross the threshold with your phone.

Compatibility

The Lyric Round supports only Wi-Fi. So if you're one of those looking for a more sophisticated smart home network beyond Wi-Fi, then you may need to look to high-end models like the Nest or Ecobee.

But even then, the Lyric Round is compatible with conventional smart home controllers including Samsung SmartThings, Apple Homekit, Wink and Lowe's Iris.

Review: Honeywell Lyric T6 Pro

The Honeywell T6 Pro is not only the flagship of the Lyric collection but also the grand of the Honeywell lineup. It is the only thermostat in this guide that can be said to favorably compete with the likes of ecobee4 and the Nest third generation. But at the same time, it is the most expensive product on the Lyric list.

The Lyric Pro makes it exceptionally easy to control your heating and cooling system. Let's delve into what it offers.

Pros:

​Comes with geofencing.

​The app is pretty easy to use.

​Cost less than Ecobee4 and Nest third generation.

Built-in Alexa voice intake service.

​Helps to manage cold and hot spots in the home.

Reduces cooling and heating cost around 18%.

Cons:

​Geofencing restricts manual control.

​Scheduling is not flexible.

​No frills design.

Functionality

Like many smart models, the Lyric T6 Pro works based on your location. It turns on your heating and cooling system when you're around and turns it off when you're away. And like the Lyric Round it comes with Apple HomeKit support and geofencing.

Geofencing allows you set the thermostat so that it behaves in a certain way depending on the location of your smartphone. Usually, the device will set your heating and cooling system to "Away" mode whenever your phone crosses the perimeter of the circle (virtual fence) which surrounds your property.

As expected, geofencing will help you save on your bills.

The Lyric T6 Pro can either be programmed to your desired schedule or allowed to "learn" on its own. You can create multiple access to the app so that someone else can control the system when you're not around.

Compatibility

Like we mentioned earlier, the T6 Pro is compatible with Apple HomeKit. This gives you the ability to control the unit through gadgets Siri and Apple TV.

The thermostat also allows integration with Google Home, Amazon Echo, and other Alexa devices. Echo and Siri will enable you to control the system using voice commands.

Though Lyric 6 Pro supports Alexa, unlike Ecobee4, the smart home device is not built into it.

Making a choice between Lyric T5, Lyric T6 Pro and Lyric Round might not be easy since the differences are often not straightforward, especially if you've never used any one of the products. But We can hopefully say that after reading this Honeywell ​lyric ​smart ​thermostat ​review it made easy to choose yours.

However, on a closer look, you would discover that it all depends on the kind of heating and cooling system you have and the level of sophistication you desire.

Compared to the other two, the T6 Pro obviously has smarter application. But it also stands more complicated and pricey than the other two. And while the Lyric Round has widespread connectivity problem, it is significantly cheaper.

Now if you can avoid the Wi-Fi issue, you may actually find it to be a cool functional smart thermostat.

The T5 is apparently the most budget-friendly option on the list but without the sophisticated learning modes of the T6 Pro or the attractive design of the Lyric Round. But it still qualifies as a reliable smart thermostat and will make an excellent choice if you have a budget that can let go more advanced options.

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